


Paprika

by blessende



Series: Searching for Levi [16]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Slice of Life
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-06-20
Packaged: 2019-05-26 00:46:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14989100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blessende/pseuds/blessende
Summary: When promises are kept and vows retold. Set in the Searching for Levi universe, post SFL. Year 2015.





	Paprika

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [PAPRIKA](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17467067) by [blessende](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blessende/pseuds/blessende), [marukusanagi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/marukusanagi/pseuds/marukusanagi)



 

 

Paprika

 

2015

(Post events in Searching for Levi)

 

 

 

 

_Earth_

_San Francisco_

 

 

 

The Golden Gate bridge didn’t impress Levi, suffice to say. ‘What’s so special about it,’ the older man grumbled, tossing the travel brochure on to the table in displeasure. ‘It’s a fucking _bridge_.’

Eren cast him a look of disbelief.

‘Are you kidding me? Hel-lo. It's a historical site! Wonder of the Modern World! Were you even listening to me?’

They'd trekked the entire mile from the toll bridge to a view point and back again. The stroll would have been pleasant if not for Eren's tour guide stories. 

Levi shook his head.

‘It's still a bridge. Your kind is unimaginative as usual, Eren.’

The brunet huffed and rolled his eyes.

‘Says the guy who bought a second Roomba for Krobe! Are you seriously getting him a new boyfriend? Doesn’t he have _enough_ paramours already?’

They were the last customers to Golden Boy Pizza, apparently the best pizza place in the city. So said Eren, though the younger did have a tendency to exaggerate. But despite his overt enthusiasm about everything in his world, the peacekeeper hadn’t been wrong about one thing. Mexican chilli.

Especially habaneros.

Levi watched as the young man nudged the bowl of habanero sauce towards him. It looked harmless enough, but Eren handled the sauce as if it were a landmine. 

‘You wanna try? It’s their specialty.’

Levi lifted a dubious eyebrow.

‘First, tell me. How _bad_ will this be?’

Eren perched his head over a palm and smiled brightly. Ever since graduating, he’d been growing his hair out a bit. Just a smudge. Levi liked the change though he was beginning to see some resemblance with Jaeger senior. Eren's features looked sharp, cheekbones well-defined, his face turning into a sculpted Greek hero's, and the years added a maturity that made the young man seem more alluring than ever. But the kid was still scrappy, his fierceness finding no limits to withhold him. And how would he? Eren was the radioactive sun, after all. Levi debated if he should mention any of this out loud, all while Eren was still prattling on about sauces.

‘—You remember tabasco? Well, this is like a hundred times worse. Hey, are you listening to me?’

Levi nodded, turning from Eren and giving the bowl a contemplative look.

‘A challenge, huh?’ Levi said and grabbed a spoon, readying himself.

Levi sniffed the sauce before taking a dollop of it in his spoon.

‘Holy shit, not so much!’ yelped Eren, grabbing the spoon before Levi could take it to his mouth.  Eren looked at him crossly. ‘Are you trying to kill yourself? Take a bit, not so much.’

As it turned out, just a _bit_ was enough to give Levi grief. The older man coughed, eyes watering, uttering curses directed at his goof of a husband.

Thankfully, Eren had a glass of water ready for him.

Of course, the water didn’t help; it merely spread the burning to his stomach.

‘So,’ Eren asked, amazed by his feat. ‘How was it?’

Levi rubbed his throat, wincing.

‘Like swallowing gasoline and throwing a match in, you idiot. The things I do for you,’ he coughed violently before finding his voice again. ‘It still hurts.”

It was the troublemaker's turn to grin.

‘Do you want me to kiss your mouth better?’

Levi narrowed his eyes.

‘Do you want to keep your balls?’ 

Eren's grin grew wider against the threat. Undeterred, the younger sneaked a glance around and finding the place empty, he went in for a quick smack anyway. He would have lingered into the kiss... until he felt the burn of the spice on his own lips and gasped.

‘Oh shit!' he yelped, pulling back with a start. 'Oh man! That’s some hot sauce!’

Levi watched on, stupefied, as Eren made a grab for his own glass of water and downed it in one go. The younger pulled back with a grimace, pressing a tissue against his scorched lips.

‘So yeah…’ he wheezed. ‘That’s habanero sauce for you,’ said the younger man, delivering his final verdict. ‘Haba haba to hell.’ When the burn subsided, he broke into a wry smile and resumed what he'd been doing, leaning in close to nuzzle against Levi’s earlobe (and steering clear of the lips wisely). ‘I love you,’ he said into Levi’s ear, still grinning. ‘Have I ever told you that before?’

The man with the raven hair rolled his eyes. Yet, for all his sullenness, he reached out under the table to lace their fingers together.

‘You say it enough for the two of us,’ Levi acknowledged.

Eren nodded, his face earnest and honest like an open book.

‘And it isn’t nearly enough.’

 

* * *

 


End file.
